2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe Tested | Niche King
How does the second generation of BMW their 4 Series Gran Coupe and a plash of M sauce add up? Terribly well when it comes to the 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe we tested…
What’s new? There are two ways to look at it: comparing this Gran Coupe with the previous generation and comparing it to the regular, current 4 Series. When taking the first approach, the biggest change happened length-wise. Fourteen-point-three centimeters were added! And the new generation now stands just over 5 centimeters taller too. We all know width counts and there's an additional 2,7 centimeters here and an additional 5 centimeters of track upfront. The overall recipe hasn’t changed, a good move because the previous generation was a downright sales hit for BMW.
Compare the Gran Coupe to the 'standard' 4 Series of the current generation and the external dimensions are again the biggest difference. This time around the height is the only noteworthy difference, as the more ergonomically shaped 4 Series measures in at 1.44 meters tall. Price-wise the M440i Gran Coupe is the cheaper one, coming in at € 68.550 (BE) compared to € 71.750 (BE) for the 2-door coupe.
These new proportions might not seem that much, yet aesthetically the impact is vast when comparing the Gran Coupe to the regular 4 Series Coupe. The same goes for the impact on the rear passengers. The latter now not only have their own door, but they also get a lot more space due to the different roofline. Don't get your hopes up though, adults above 1,80 meters will still struggle to sit upright in the back seat. Back to the aesthetics! Ever thought the previous-gen 4 Series Gran Coupe looked a bit thin? Neither did I, until I saw this 2022 M440i Gran Coupe in the flesh. Its stance has completely changed for the better. Width and length are in better proportion, making it look like a worthy yet younger sibling of the 8 Series Gran Coupe.
Familiar
Overall the 4 Series Gran Coupe feels as familiar as the regular 4 Series does: like a purebred BMW. I'm mentioning this as a little bridge towards writing about the interior of the car. Unlike the futuristic BMW iX 50 we tested, the M440i Gran Coupe has a conservative approach when it comes to the cabin. The quality of every surface you touch matches the expectation. The seating position for the driver is spot on, alongside the whole cabin being very driver-orientated. BMW's M-sauce adds supportive seats and a beefy, nice-to-hold steering wheel. And that steering wheel still comes with physical buttons, hooray! This conservative approach does mean iDrive 7.0 still, which doesn't do the rest of the car justice due to the complicated layout. Luckily, at the time of writing you’ll be able to order your 4 Gran Coupé with the new iDrive8
Performance gap
At this point, you might start wondering why you'd ever buy a Coupe over a Gran Coupe? Besides the personal preferences, there's another elephant in the room. A proverbial elephant that embodies the performance difference between the two siblings. In a world where every tenth of a second counts, a difference of 2 tenths is considered fairly large. The 4-door Gran Coupe measures 4.7 seconds to a hundred with xDrive, whereas the 2-door version with xDrive pulls off this trick in 4.5 seconds. Both have a similar engine that peaks at 374 PS and 500 Nm. It's noteworthy that after the initial acceleration this difference closes. This brings me to the point that 0-100 times are by no means a reason to choose between these two. Nor does it do the 2022 M440i Gran Coupe justice. Why? Because if there was a universal means of expressing how good an acceleration feels, this car would score 10/10.
BMW and 6-inline engines measuring 3 liters of displacement go back to when the Roman Empire ruled Europe. Not actually that long obviously but that type of engine is an integral part of the brand's DNA and has been for decades. So in times when BMW i lives alongside it, these cars feel like safe heaven for petrolheads. And in terms of that engine, BMW didn't disappoint. A crispy torque delivery throughout the long gears of the Steptronic, yet smooth delivery, is one of the highlights. The other highlight is the addictive 6-inline soundtrack, which is present despite the particle filter. These two highlights work together in an addictive way, one that makes you want to keep on driving even after reaching your destination. Where a car like the BMW X4 M car wears you out, the balance between performance and comfort is sublime inside the M440i Gran Coupe. Nothing is too much, everything is just enough. Besides, the Gran Coupe 4 is actually good at cruising at city speeds too. And perhaps even better than ever due to the 48V mild-hybrid setup giving that low-rev push.
Corner after corner
An M adaptive suspension doesn't come as standard for the M440i Gran Coupe but the 503 euros it costs are definitely worth every cent. Why? As I mentioned above, a car not wearing you down is a big plus. This damping setup smooths out imperfections during any manner of driving. So, even when appealing to the dynamic side of the 2022 M440i, it does this without overreacting. Getting this right in a car is an engineering feat not every manufacturer can achieve. This neutral chassis grants rewarding behavior in corners. And that reward is even greater due to the confidence one gets from the direct feedback from the road through the steering wheel. Something complimented by the directness to respond on steering input alongside it.
And thanks to xDrive and the M Sport Differential, the grip seems endless. Enough for you to confidently turn on ESP in Sport Handling mode and search for just how quickly you can push down the throttle after the apex. You won't come anywhere near letting the rear break loose on the public road and if you do want that in this car, then don't go for the xDrive. Yup, you can get this package as RWD only too.
Small compromise
Is there a reason to choose the 2-door over the 4-door? Rationally perhaps so when taking the extra 35 kilograms into account. Yet in all honesty, adding the Gran Coupe to the line-up of the 4 Series is a brilliant move. Not only does it hold onto certain buyers needing a more practical car, but it also pulls in new customers that never made the 2-door compromise in the first place. Either way, those going for the 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe will buy a car that embodies what has made BMW such a renowned car brand. There's a mixture of dynamics, quality, and comfort inside this car that only BMW can pull off. It's one of those cars that you look forward to driving again albeit during a commute or a dynamic mountain road drive. Slammed with M-sauce, the 4 Series Gran Coupe is nothing short of 'dream material' for many petrol heads.
